Community benefits from £300k road upgrade

The small highland community of Polloch is to
benefit from a £300K project that will improve a short section of ‘life-line’
public road to make it suitable for timber lorries.

Timber lorries using the 50 year-old Polloch to
Glenfinnan in-forest road have historically joined the single-track public road
for 2.4km on the south side of Loch Doilet. However, damage caused by 140,000
tonnes of timber carried on the road meant that in 2014 it was excluded from
further use.

The project to upgrade this section of public
road – and the bridge over the Polloch River - is backed by the Scottish
Government’s Strategic Timber Transport Fund,
administered by Forestry Commission Scotland, and match funding from The
Highland Council.

As well as improving the public road it will
also secure the long term timber access into Glen Hurich and Achnanellan.

Dr Ben Lennon, who heads the Commission’s team
in Lochaber, said;“Polloch is a very small community and the one, single-track
road in and out is a lifeline that everyone relies on. Forestry is also an
important element of the local economy, so the damaged surface – and its being
barred to timber lorries – was a bit of a double whammy.

“This partnership project is a fantastic boost
for the community because it will provide residents with a high-quality road
that will serve them well for years to come.

“But it also means that around 300,000 tonnes of
land locked timber can be taken to market over the next 30 years.”

Once the upgrade is complete and timber lorries
can again use this section of road, a further measure of long-term protection
will be added by only using trucks fitted with Tyre Pressure Control Systems
(TPCS) that minimise wear and tear on road surfaces.

The project has enjoyed the support of all the
Ward 22 Councillors.

Chair of The Highland Council’s Community
Services Committee, Councillor Henderson said: “This productive partnership
approach means that a badly damaged road can be repaired and enhanced and can
carry on to serve the local community for many years to come.

“Good team work has been very effective and I am
particularly pleased as much of the existing road materials as possible is
going to be used in the reshaping before the overlay work is done.

“This cuts down on material and haulage costs
and also is good news for reducing our carbon footprint.

“I would like to congratulate Forest Enterprise
staff and staff from the Council for their hard work so far and look forward to
travelling along this stunning route once the road is completed.”

The Polloch project is one of four major
Highlands’ projects that in 2015/16 will benefit from over £2M of funding. The
others are: Ruthven Bridge; Flow Country Timber Links; and the South Loch Ness
In-forest link.